Latest news with #AseanAgreementonTransboundaryHazePollution
Straits Times
6 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Malaysia's environment department ramps up haze battle
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A total of 4,247 patrols and 859 aerial surveillance missions using drones had been carried out. KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Department of Environment (DOE) has stepped up enforcement and surveillance at open burning hotspots to tackle the haze , says its director-general Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar. As of July 30, a total of 4,247 patrols and 859 aerial surveillance missions using drones had been carried out. The director-general said the DOE monitors the air pollution index hourly from its environmental data centre in Putrajaya via 68 surveillance stations nationwide. 'We need to give serious attention to the haze as it can impact the health of the people,' he said in a media engagement session here on July 31. He added that 27 offenders had charged in court, while 59 compound notices were issued to other parties since January. The DOE had also extinguished fires with the assistance of 13 agencies under a joint initiative. He said Malaysia is also working closely with neighbouring countries under the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution to prevent and mitigate forest and peat fires. 'Through this platform, Malaysia has proposed initiatives for neighbouring countries to adopt, in order to eradicate open burning that may cause or worsen haze in the region,' he said. On the issue of e-waste, he said the increasing use of electronic devices has led to a corresponding rise in e-waste. Between January 2021 and June 2025, more than 536,709 tonnes of e-waste were recycled by DOE-approved companies. Among the DOE's e-waste management initiatives is the expansion of e-waste collection centres, currently numbering 128 premises nationwide. Other efforts include increased enforcement against illegal e-waste recycling companies through the department's Ops Hazard, as well as public awareness campaigns on safe disposal practices. 'If e-waste is not properly managed and is indiscriminately disposed of, it can pose serious risks to daily life, particularly due to its hazardous effects on health and the environment,' he said. The DOE also revealed that 88 per cent of illegal e-waste originated from the United States. Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom accounted for 2 per cent each. Since 2015, up to 660 shipments of e-waste have been ordered to be returned to their countries of origin. Separately, he said shortage of manpower continues to pose a major challenge to the enforcement of environmental laws. He said that while the ideal workforce strength is at least 4,100 staff members, the DOE is currently operating at only about 25 per cent capacity, at 1,113 personnel. THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
The Star
6 days ago
- General
- The Star
DOE ramps up haze battle
KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Environment (DOE) has stepped up enforcement and surveillance at open burning hotspots to tackle the haze, says its director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar (pic). As of July 30, a total of 4,247 patrols and 859 aerial surveillance missions using drones had been carried out. Wan Abdul Latiff said the DOE monitors the air pollution index hourly from its environmental data centre in Putrajaya via 68 surveillance stations nationwide. 'We need to give serious attention to the haze as it can impact the health of the people,' he said in a media engagement session here yesterday. He added that 27 offenders had charged in court, while 59 compound notices were issued to other parties since January. The DOE had also extinguished fires with the assistance of 13 agencies under a joint initiative. Wan Abdul Latiff said Malaysia is also working closely with neighbouring countries under the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution to prevent and mitigate forest and peat fires. 'Through this platform, Malaysia has proposed initiatives for neighbouring countries to adopt, in order to eradicate open burning that may cause or worsen haze in the region,' he said. On the issue of e-waste, Wan Abdul Latiff said the increasing use of electronic devices has led to a corresponding rise in e-waste. Between January 2021 and June 2025, more than 536,709 tonnes of e-waste were recycled by DOE-approved companies. Among the DOE's e-waste management initiatives is the expansion of e-waste collection centres, currently numbering 128 premises nationwide. Other efforts include increased enforcement against illegal e-waste recycling companies through the department's Ops Hazard, as well as public awareness campaigns on safe disposal practices. 'If e-waste is not properly managed and is indiscriminately disposed of, it can pose serious risks to daily life, particularly due to its hazardous effects on health and the environment,' he said. The DOE also revealed that 88% of illegal e-waste originated from the United States. Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom accounted for 2% each. Since 2015, up to 660 shipments of e-waste have been ordered to be returned to their countries of origin. Separately, Wan Abdul Latiff said shortage of manpower continues to pose a major challenge to the enforcement of environmental laws. He said that while the ideal workforce strength is at least 4,100 staff members, the DOE is currently operating at only about 25% capacity, at 1,113 personnel.
